Freire as seen by Freire. The validity of the pedagogy of the oppressed

Abstract

This collaboration offers a review, made by Freire himself in 1994, of the validity of Pedagogy of the Oppressed, from his own word, within the framework of a conference-colloquium organized by the NGO Infancia Viva (Alive Childhood) and celebrated on July 4th of that year in Barcelona (Spain).

Its importance lies in the fact that Paulo Freire took the opportunity to make a journey through his thought by sharing how this work means the maturity of his thought and overcoming some shortages found in previous works (above all in The Education as practice for freedom), and putting in value their ontological and epistemological contributions.

And also, in how from an open dialogue with the public, he expressed his opinions on more socio-political issues (the crisis of the left, the situation in Brazil, etc.), as a human being who reads the world.

The transcription from Portuguese (or rather from “portuñol”, as he himself made clear), the adaption and the notes incorporate also some elements of an interview that the author could have made to him in an informal way in those days. The final result of the text was reviewed by Freire himself.